Lazy System Variables: LTSCALE, PSLTSCALE, & MSLTSCALE

Posted August 26, 2008 * Comments(6)

There are three linetype settings to consider when setting up your drawings: LTSCALE, PSLTSCALE, & MSLTSCALE.

Linetype Sale
As you probably know if you’ve used AutoCAD for any length of time, LTSCALE controls the dash spacing in linetypes.

Model Space Linetype Scale
Set MSLTSCALE to 1 and it will scale linetypes in model space by the annotation scale. Turn this off by setting it to 0 (zero).

Paper Space Linetype Scale
This setting applies to linetypes shown through a viewport in a layout tab (paper space). Set PSLTSCALE to 0 (zero) and the linetype dash lengths will display per the LTSCALE in the drawing in which they reside. This means that if you show an XREF through a viewport and the PSLTSCALE is set to 0, the linetype scale will be controlled by the LTSCALE in the XREF, not the current drawing. However if you set PSLTSCALE to 1, the linetypes will be controlled by the LTSCALE in the current (paper space) drawing.

BONUS: Control Linetype Scale
The AutoCAD help file says, CELTSCALE “sets the current object linetype scaling factor. Sets the linetype scaling for new objects relative to the LTSCALE command setting. A line created with CELTSCALE = 2 in a drawing with LTSCALE set to 0.5 would appear the same as a line created with CELTSCALE = 1 in a drawing with LTSCALE = 1.”

6 Comments so far

  1. bert on August 29th, 2008

    Massively confusing! Not your explanation, but the concept. Who can know what to use when? Much less why?

  2. Josh Jones on August 29th, 2008

    I know!

    Here is what I do for my projects:

    I have one template for drawings in model space (let’s call this one DWT-1), and one template for title blocks to be used with Sheet Set Manager (let’s call this one DWT-2). I never draw directly in a drawing created from DWT-2. I only draw in drawings created from DWT-1 and xref those drawings into my sheets created from DWT-2.

    Does that make sense?

    In your drawing template (DWT-1) set MSLTSCALE to 1 and LTSCALE to whatever you use most of the time. If you are big on using Annotative scales in your drawings then you should set MSLTSCALE to 0 so that your linetypes adjust accordingly.

    In your Sheet Set Manager template (DWT-2) set PSLTSCALE to 0 and LTSCALE to 1.

    If I were you, I would leave CELTSCALE set to 1 in both templates.

  3. CadKicks.com on September 3rd, 2008

    LTSCALE, PSLTSCALE, and MSLTSCALE…

    You’ve been kicked (a good thing) – Trackback from CadKicks.com…

  4. Nina on January 8th, 2010

    Hi!
    I just found your post hoping it would help me. And it has but still have to questions marks…. Maybe you can help.
    Have a MVB that sometimes needs to appear as hidden. Have been fiddling around with ByLayer and ByBlock. This is done in one file.(F1)
    F1 is then used as xref in F2. Managed to get the MVB to dashed lines (but totally different scale?) Finally F2 is xref into s1 for publish etc. Cannot for the life of me figure out how to get the dashed lines to show up in the view port.
    So many steps and so many sources of errors… Any help would be grateful.
    Nina
     

  5. Randy on August 11th, 2011

    There are two methods that I find to be the most helpful.

    Method 1
    PSLTSCALE and MSLTSCALE set to 0. LTSCALE set to the drawing scale that your drawing is in (say 1″ = 60′, so your LTSCALE=60). This will display your linetypes the same whether you’re in MS or PS.

    Method 2
    PSLTSCALE and MSLTSCALE set to 1. LTSCALE set to 1. Annotation Scale (I always set mine at the bottome of ACAD) is set to the desired viewing scale (lets say 1″ = 40′, pick 1:40). Then your View Port should be at 1″ = 40′ zoom. Linetypes should be the same for all drawings that have a 40 scale. This is generally a better method for drawings with details, profiles, plan views, etc. that are not always the same. The PS will look as intended for plotting purposes, but you will have to adjust the MS Annotation Scale to know what it will look like in PS. Clear as mud right?!?!?!?

    Note: If you have a dashed line that is not looking as intended, you can also pick the line and adjust the linetype scale of the object directly in the properties to say (0.5) to effectively double the numbe of dashes, OR you can make a new linetype in your .LIN file. Feel free to email if you have questions or disagree.

    Randy

  6. Josh Jones on August 11th, 2011

    Excellent tips Randy! Thank you!

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